assessment practices, 21st century skills and feedback for improvement
Examples
Bad ones, matched to standards, but boring...
Discussion thread "What is the significance of a shackle?" Students evaluate and synthesize by answering and justifying their answer. Did not make it relevant. I think the question could be - What is a modern day shackle and why? Assessed on quantity method though, just had to have 2 responses.
Five Themes of Geography - Original rubric and assignment had all things laid out, but was not high level thinking. Assignment was made simple. Revised: Technology Challenge -
Creating Podcasts for a Book Club - How does media influence what students do? Create podcast on a book they've read. Gave yes/no checklist. Does the student mention title and author? Is the project 1-2 long? Does the student have an intriguing question? Does the student give a summary of the book? Does the student incorporate a cliffhanger? Does it include music? Does the student follow the accetable use policy by incorporating less than 30 seconds of each song? Fix: Build better assessment for kids creating quality feedback for each other. checklists, quality indicators, give that up front when you give students the assignments.
Assessment should:
Align to the tasks and essential learning
Be realistic - Show great and not great attempts
Provide feedback that allows students information on how to improve
Provide criteria before
Assess product and process
Cycle of reflection
What is the level of thinking? How do I rasie it?
Is the task and context relevant to students?
What technology can help?
What feedback will prove performance?
Did students think critically? Were you able to see a process?
Example: Discussion Posts - have the students create the questions for their group to answer. Students discuss high level topics with their class, not with the teacher.
Structures that inhibit higher level thinking:
Cookie cutter projects
PowerPointlessness
Focus on tech over the content
Assessments that assess product not process
Grading - How many points is it worth?
Feedback after work is done will not improve performance
Rubrics
Ahnalyuze primary and secondary resources, evaluate resources, listen to speech, find 5 letters and analyze, then find 2 cartoons that depict the New Deal in positive/negative light.
Able to use language and symbols, expansion of verbal abilities, ego-centric, concrete state
Watch TV, DVD, VCR
Computer 50% have played video games
70% of these kids have used computers and they like the multimedia of computer. Their reacing ability is inhibiting. They are figuring out factual and non factual
Concrete operational: 7-12
Computer, word processing - over 70%, kids with writing difficulties are using wp @ home
Watching 3 hours of tv
1 hour of music
1 hour video games
Starting to social network, WebKinz
Formal operational: 12+
Can do abstract thought, rigorous logic, abstract reasoning
Hours spent per day on media: Social Networking 55%, blog 19%, IM 57%, create content and media to share on the web70%, 45% have own phone, 33% of teens have a cell phone that can text, 80% of teens that have cells phones never shut them off
We are in the same boat with Internet like when the printing press came out
Brain research is showing that our brains are mapping differently because it skims Brain Plasticity. Will media iimpact the brain.
Books: How we decide. Everything Bad is Good for You.
Media and pop culture is getting more stimulating and the way we interact with media is complex. Marc Prensky - research on gaming
Finding information is not the important part anymore. The importance of collaboration and creative thinking is coming to the forefront. Question: How do we provide equitable circumstances in our new curriculum.
Tuesday AM, 8:45 - 9:45
You've got (too much) mail: Preserving Productivity Under Information Overload
Joanne Cantor
In addition to the digital information revolution we have a digital communications revolution. It is very easy for information to get to us. There is a price for this constant connectivity. 28% of the workday is lost due to information coming in. Estimated that it costs $650/billion per year in lost revenue.
Information overload - companies are researching this "Reducing information Pollution."
Multi-tasking
Background tasking - It is true that brain does multiple things at a time. They do not require attention and focus.
Research shows that when one task that is entirely verbal and another is spacial the brain cannot do it. Researchers say that it cannot be done - it is really switch tasking, doing one then the other. It take MORE time to do both these things.
Executive Function
Stroop Test - Making decisions as to what to do at a certain time. Brain had to overcome initial response and switch (words in colors didn't match)
Switch tasking is worse than a lie. Write alternating numbers an letters.
Research confirms that switch tasking wastes time.
Working memory - Short term memory, working buffer. Long term memory is vast.
When you switch task you are using short term memory, this is very hard and nothing gets stored in long term memory. Degrades quality of what you're doing and takes much more time.
When you switch back and forth you lose time:
Brain needs to switch back/forth
When you switch tasks you have to remember that thought processes that go with it.
Where was I?
Task switching is a problem according to Medina (researcher)
Like putting your left foot in your right shoe. Brain can be used in this way, but not efficient.
If you want to use your brain in the right way spend time on doing one task at a time.
Information overload - Too much stuff coming in at a time (do the subtraction exercise - screen out all the other stuff)
Reducing information overload - Good for creativity. Too much input stops people from being creative.
When you have to much information it is hard to get going on creative tasks. (tossed salad analogy, in order to mix ingredients around, you need to have space)
PUtting the information down and picking it up again at a later date is also helpful. Stop getting new information.
Let what you know marinade and consolidate by getting away from all information together. Not to another info-rich environment.
Spaced practice is much better than chunk practice.
Sleep is another way for the brain to retain information. (Rat story of learning maze and then when rat slept the brain consolidated what the rat had learned during the day) Sleeping helps you define solutions you had not thought of before. "Sleep on it."
Workaholism is not best for your productivity.
Ways to "get away":
Take a walk in nature
Sleep
Playing a mindless game (ping pong)
How do handle info overload:
Be the master of your interruptions
Give yourself the swatches of uninterrupted time.
Set up a schedule at work. Choose not to answer email except for scheduled times.
Create a to do list so that your work is not interrupted.
Choose when you're going to go to the Internet to do something.
Set your webpage default browser screen to something boring.
Take brain enhancing breaks.
Turn radio off in car.
If you spend time not multitasking it will help add more to your day. Try single tasking, you'll actually save time!
*Young adults are better at switch tasking because their brains have capabilities to do it.
Tuesday AM, 10:00-11:00
Digital Opportunities, Expectations, and Realities
WiscNet - Ties together 79% of schools in Wisconsin and works as a liaison. Educational technology within k-12 atmosphere.
Quiz/Handout
Digital Realities - Where do we stand? What are some of the challenges?
Students are becoming "free agent" learners. They are learning outside the school walls and are creating their own learning circles. Podcasts, finding experts beyond the classroom.
Internet is allowing collaboration from all stakeholders.
Does technology lead to educational opportunities? (Survey question through National School Board ASsociation 93.1% of tech admins say YES)
More engaged in learning
Curriculum for Special Education
Increased critical thinking
strong ability to communicate
improved performance on tests
What do students, parents, and teachers think? National Speak Up survey:
60% parents rate good tech skills as important
73% of trachers rate good tech skills important
74% identified good tech skills as the #1 skill they need to be successful
Leveraging - 68% Web 2.0, 48% multimedia projects
Challenges (survey rated top/bottom)
Funding
Integrating tech into classroom
Replacing/upgrading equip
Proving benefits
closing digital divide
other
ensuring safety online
Barriers to web 2.0 (survey results)
Filtering
Safety
lack of teacher desire
Parental safety
policy
attitudes between it and teachers
lack of quality sites
Students face at school (survey results)
School filters
teachers limit tech use
too many rules
Cannot use my own stuff
Can't access comm tools
Rules that limit school tech
Is home access to the Internet a problem for rural/low-income students in your district?
70.4% yes
52.6% homes in Wisconsin have broadband - 2007
Have household with broadband access has at least 5 Mbps
Most schools have T1 (more access at home than at school)
Digital Disconnect
The gap between how todays students learn and live
Power up and power down
Big 4
Online and computer gaming 64% of k-12 students
Download music
Communications
Maintain personal webistie (social networking)
40% 6-8
67% 9-12
School work
Writing
Online
Check assignments
Create slideshows
email about assignments
Expectations - Students, Employers, and Higher Education
"Net Generation" anybody born after 1977
Have:
Greater technology proficiencies than their teachers or parents
Have love of the Internet
Expectation that learning will be fun
Demand customizations
Immediate answers
Unwilling to memorize
Feel more global aware
They expect that the school technology will be at least as good as at home
How satisfied are students with technology? They're not.
Is your school doing a good job preparing you/your students for future jobs? Princ 66%, admin 48%, Teachers 47%, Parents, 43%, students 23%
LEAP - Institute of Higher Education's system of getting universities caught up to real life (21st century skills model) They are starting in colleges then pushing down to k-12 level.
Opportunities - Examples, Possibilities
Higher Ed
87% of students own a laptop
89% have taken a CMS online course
86% use cell phone for texting
Email, Wikipedia, YouTube
Madison student use: MP3 players, flash drives, digi cams, text message, social network, IM
Nationwide: College or Univ library website, presentaiton software, spreasheets, social networking, text messaging, cms
Students they like to use in class: Laptops, recofding, note taking, class websites, video recording, Office, Learn @ UW
Would like instructors to use: ppt, movies, videos, relevant computer, projectors, laptops, dry erase, laser pointers
What are they using at UW? Presentation tech, cms, library e-reserves, myWebspace, video sharing apps
Future Employers
Need students who can commmunicate, collaborate, and think critically
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Public law 111-5 provides funding opps to public schools/libraries (hope to have decision by May)
Wisconsin Connects - a new Wisconsin program that connects WI classrooms to connect to other classrooms around the world.
How they use for social activism
Community work: share research local, participate online poll, use tools to collaborate about local solutions, create special inters groups, post ideas, collect/analyze data
How to make easier: Let me use my own device, give me unlimited internet access, let me access my school project from any computer at home or school.
Low Funding solutions
Open Source
Third Party:
Ning, blogger, google apps, teacher tube, ustrem, flickr, google earth, splashup/ poll everywhere, ePals, Jaycut, slideshare, earthbrowser, de.lic.ious, paintmap, twitter, zotero, pageflakes, google reader
On the K12 Horizon
Virtual worlds
Video creation/sharing
Mashup of Content
Alvin Toffler - FuturistFuture schools
Open 24 hours a day
Customized educational experiences
Kids arrive at different times
Students begin their formalized schooling at different ages
Curriculum is integrated across disciplines
Non-teachers work with teachers
Teachers alternate working in schools and in the business world
Coaching Educator's Use of Information and Technology
Connie Jaeger, Instructional Technology Coordinator
Kevin Messman, Coordinator of Instructional Technology
EETT Kenosha Consortium
"Recognizing pockets of excellence and bringing everyone with us"
Areas of Collaborative Staff Development:
Increased Proficiency of 21st Century Skills: Focus - Administrator Training, Assessment and library media staff
Tools: SMARTBoard, Thinkfinity & Discovery Streaming, Web 2.0 Tools
Collaborative and Cross District
Kenosha
Grant Participation Composition: K-12, 5 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high, library media teacher, classroom teacher, resource/instructional technology teacher, training alterations.
Racine
Modified train the trainer, participation composition, grade 6 at 3 middle schools, library media specialists, eight classroom teachers on a voluntary basis, technology trainers, three building administrators.
Group budget and funding. Decide ahead of time who gets the $ for equipment, training, etc. The portable computers get to use the laptops during the day. (their way of working to 1 to 1)
New Berlin & Mequon-Thiensville
K12 IMC participation, Grant people, K12 focus on SMARTBoard, K-8 Thinkfinity & Discovery Education, 9-12 WEb 2.0 Tools, Administrative assessment and training on helping teachers develop lesson plans.
Research/Assessment of Grant - Tammy Stephens
Ed Tech Research is Inconclusive
Often baseline data was not collected - collect data before you start because you have to show growth over time
Technology is a moviing target - new technologies pop up and new things are taught, we do not have hard data because the technology is new
Technology is diverse - huge discipline to look at
Technology in of itself changes nothing - it is really the teaching practices that change the education
We haven't defined what we mean by student achievement - Do we want test scores to go up? Do we want students to improve in their writing? Should students become more creative? Go beyond WKCE - too long of a time frame.
Walk through data form (Get this sent to me from Tammy) - This was designed by Tammy using the below frameworks so that administrators know what they should be looking for in classrooms:
enGauge 21st Century Skills
ISTE NETS Standards for Students
Wisconsin Information & Technology Literacy Standards
Here are some things that administrators can look for as they are observing classrooms
Fundamental changes in the economy, jobs, and business
New, different skill demands (an economic imperative for 21st century skills study on the 21centuryskills.org website)
Two achievement gaps - If we do not give students the skills we are creating another gap, meaning they won't have 21st century skills and the achievement
How did the LMS get involved and moved into the next step?
LMS attended 2008 AASL Fall Forum: authentic assessment of information literacy, tools for effective learning in the LMC, and half-day follow up for consortium LMC. Sharing information is important.
Assessing Learning LMS & Teachers as Partners
What is assessment? What is happening in schools? What is the LMS role? What do we assess? What are some tools? How do we begin with the end in mind? (What do we want students to know and do? How are we going to assess this? How are we going to design lessons to get there?)
Assessing Learning - Librarians and Teachers as partners Used this book as a book study.
Rating scales, Logs, personal correspondence, matrix, on the spot - look at what they've done assessments (people didn't know that there were varieties of assessements out there)
Diane's Page
Monday AM, 11:00 - 12:00
21st Century Skills, Tools and Assessments
Mary Lou Ley, OOAK ConsultingBackground of ISSAC
- Consortium of 7 school district
- Technology directors, directors of instruction, library media specialists, sand outside consultants
- Focus on new technologies
- Instructional design for engaging learners
- Teacher reflection
- Provide online learning experiences (Moodle)
- Greatest area of need
- Technology Literacy
- Instructional Design
- Their data
- Over 75% of their students used tech for drill nd skill
- Over 65% of students rarely use terchnology for higher level
- Teachers did:
- Locate information on the Internet, summarize content, really wanted students to analyze
21st Century LearningTools, Resources & Practices to Make it Happen
Tips for Improving Lesson Quality
How Media is Changing the Way We Learn
Tammy Stephens, Pepperdine UniversityDeveloping Minds with Digital Media: Habits of Mind the the YouTube Era
Piaget's Four levels of development
Continuous partial attention
Finding information is not the important part anymore. The importance of collaboration and creative thinking is coming to the forefront. Question: How do we provide equitable circumstances in our new curriculum.
Tuesday AM, 8:45 - 9:45
You've got (too much) mail: Preserving Productivity Under Information Overload
Joanne CantorIn addition to the digital information revolution we have a digital communications revolution. It is very easy for information to get to us. There is a price for this constant connectivity. 28% of the workday is lost due to information coming in. Estimated that it costs $650/billion per year in lost revenue.
Multi-tasking
- Background tasking - It is true that brain does multiple things at a time. They do not require attention and focus.
- Research shows that when one task that is entirely verbal and another is spacial the brain cannot do it. Researchers say that it cannot be done - it is really switch tasking, doing one then the other. It take MORE time to do both these things.
Executive Function- Stroop Test - Making decisions as to what to do at a certain time. Brain had to overcome initial response and switch (words in colors didn't match)
- Switch tasking is worse than a lie. Write alternating numbers an letters.
- Research confirms that switch tasking wastes time.
Working memory - Short term memory, working buffer. Long term memory is vast.- When you switch task you are using short term memory, this is very hard and nothing gets stored in long term memory. Degrades quality of what you're doing and takes much more time.
- When you switch back and forth you lose time:
- Brain needs to switch back/forth
- When you switch tasks you have to remember that thought processes that go with it.
- Where was I?
Task switching is a problem according to Medina (researcher)Information overload - Too much stuff coming in at a time (do the subtraction exercise - screen out all the other stuff)
Workaholism is not best for your productivity.
Ways to "get away":
How do handle info overload:
- Be the master of your interruptions
- Give yourself the swatches of uninterrupted time.
- Set up a schedule at work. Choose not to answer email except for scheduled times.
- Create a to do list so that your work is not interrupted.
- Choose when you're going to go to the Internet to do something.
- Set your webpage default browser screen to something boring.
- Take brain enhancing breaks.
- Turn radio off in car.
- If you spend time not multitasking it will help add more to your day. Try single tasking, you'll actually save time!
*Young adults are better at switch tasking because their brains have capabilities to do it.Tuesday AM, 10:00-11:00
Digital Opportunities, Expectations, and Realities
Madeline Covelli, Educational Technology Consultant WiscNetWiscNet - Ties together 79% of schools in Wisconsin and works as a liaison. Educational technology within k-12 atmosphere.
Quiz/Handout
Digital Realities - Where do we stand? What are some of the challenges?
Expectations - Students, Employers, and Higher Education
"Net Generation" anybody born after 1977
Opportunities - Examples, Possibilities
Alvin Toffler - FuturistFuture schools
Links:
http://delicious.com/covelli/wemtapresentation tools
Twitter: mcovelli
Blog - http://www.wiscnet.net/wiscnetwire
Coaching Educator's Use of Information and Technology
Connie Jaeger, Instructional Technology CoordinatorKevin Messman, Coordinator of Instructional Technology
EETT Kenosha Consortium
"Recognizing pockets of excellence and bringing everyone with us"
Areas of Collaborative Staff Development:
Kenosha
- Grant Participation Composition: K-12, 5 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high, library media teacher, classroom teacher, resource/instructional technology teacher, training alterations.
Racine- Modified train the trainer, participation composition, grade 6 at 3 middle schools, library media specialists, eight classroom teachers on a voluntary basis, technology trainers, three building administrators.
- Group budget and funding. Decide ahead of time who gets the $ for equipment, training, etc. The portable computers get to use the laptops during the day. (their way of working to 1 to 1)
New Berlin & Mequon-ThiensvilleResearch/Assessment of Grant - Tammy Stephens
Ed Tech Research is Inconclusive
Links:
http://kenoshaEETTgrant.wikispaces.com